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Alliance cruiser Hyperion
Hyperion (hull number CA-1441) was the lead ship of the Hyperion-class heavy cruisers that were the most well-rounded and successful cruiser type in the Alliance. While they did not have disproproportionate firepower relative to size such as the Nereid-type light cruisers or the Phobos class, their excellent main battery of 20.3cm laser cannons backed by a significant layer of close-in weapons and point defenses made sure they were regarded as indispensable additions to the fleet. Design As the Terran Alliance progressed in the wars against the Ravasect and later against the Razorbirds, it became increasingly clear that production of the Mercury-class battlecruisers could not be maintained at the pace that it was currently progressing at; as large kilometre-long capital ships, they were simply too expensive and time-consuming to construct to produce in large numbers. Aside from that, the limited number of dockyards able to handle such warships also precluded their deployment far from the core worlds without frequent detachments back to Alliance space for repairs and refitting. It was clear that a smaller type would have to be constructed, that could meet the same requirements on a smaller scale and that could be built cheaply and quickly. This was the basic inception of the Hyperion ''type. Heavy cruisers had not been a new thing in the Alliance when the requirements for the ''Hyperion were drawn up; the War for Sol-vintage Hermione class had served excellently throughout that conflict in limited numbers, with Hermione herself garnering a reputation for speed and firepower within her type. Post-invasion, however, the Alliance had mainly focused on light cruisers that could accompany the gunline and medium cruisers that could serve as scouts for the main force; battlecruisers were the next step in that development, that could sweep aside the enemy's own auxiliary forces. The Hermione''s and their success had been tacitly left to wither, and the class had been scrapped without too much thought; the next ''Hermione type would be reborn as modern light fleet carriers, while their spiritual successors in the Prometheus class would see service as modified versions of Hyperion that were very much downscaled modern Alliance battlecruisers. Designwise, the Hyperion-class cruisers were quite similar to the Luna-class battlecruisers then also in development, and indeed this was based on a commonality of design; this was to improve the Alliance's capability to form homogeneous combat groups, as the Luna''s could be expected to lead squadrons of the new heavy cruisers on incursions. This produced a visually similar hullform, though the ''Hyperion''s were slightly cleaner as they used fewer triple turrets in lieu of twin turrets. Armament ''Hyperion was the first heavy cruiser in the Alliance to revive the 20cm (actual bore 203mm, or exactly 8in) calibre for starships: in the Alliance, these were exceptionally hard-hitting weapons with a power output roughly half that of a Luna-class battlecruiser's main armament (100,000 TW per individual shot, 50,000 TW in a Hyperion), meaning a Hyperion could in a single salvo output 600,000 TW against a given target. This massive output of energy could vapourise even armour-grade steel, given a continuous track on the target, and each 20.3cm cannon could recharge in half the time of a 30.5cm cannon at just 5 seconds. In addition to her main armament, Hyperion was also equipped with 10.5cm dual-purpose laser cannons for use against small targets and starfighters alike, as well as a number of 2cm laser cannons and 5cm blaster banks for close-range interdiction; for ships that got particularly close, she could also unleash a deadly swarm of the Alliance's short-range torpedoes. History Commission Early Service Alliance-Imperial War Third War in Heaven Category:Terran Alliance Category:Alliance Starships Category:Starships Category:Individual Starships Category:Starship classes Category:Heavy Cruisers Category:Cruisers